Chapter 81: Saving Aunt – Sweet Words Mistook for Harsh Reproach; Child Protects Her Beautiful Face. ...

Feng Xun has been missing recently, and it is unknown what troubles he has been preoccupied with, but he has abandoned his two children at Tinglan Cottage for five or six days. Su Jinxiu has been sleeping with the children every night, and she has to be very careful even when she turns over.

These past few days, Wen Shiqin has been like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey, watching the beautiful woman so close yet unable to cross the line.

Every night, after finishing his official duties and returning home, Wen Shiqin would always find an excuse to go to Tinglan Xiaozhu, drag Su Jinxiu to a secluded corner, and have a brief kiss. However, it was always just a fleeting encounter, and he would eventually return to Heliting alone.

Today, after searching, I finally returned through the mist.

General Feng and his wife were not at home at the moment. The couple had gone out to find a suitable place to retire, hoping to find a quiet place to spend the rest of their lives. It would be more than a month before they returned home. So outside the gate of the mansion, only Su Jinxiu and Wen Shiqin were waiting for General Feng to return.

Upon seeing Feng Xun, Wen Shiqin's eyes brimmed with genuine joy. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and displayed a humble and respectful demeanor, befitting a brother.

In fact, he only hoped that Fengxun would return quickly and take the two demon children away.

Unexpectedly, when they stopped, they said directly, "Grandmother has returned home from her travels and has arrived at the ferry. Let's take Qingluan and Qingyi with us to welcome her."

Su Jinxiu was the adopted daughter of the Feng family, and Wen Shiqin's identity was a fabrication, so neither of them had ever met this grandmother.

Feng Xun added slowly, "Grandmother is in good spirits and health. In her early years, she insisted on traveling all over the famous mountains and rivers despite the advice of her relatives. Now she must have traveled all over the world and is eager to return home."

Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu sighed inwardly. It was truly fortunate that someone of her age still possessed the spirit to roam the world with a sword. She also guessed that her grandmother was traveling alone, and that her grandfather must have already passed away, so she dared not ask any further questions.

Seeing her frowning in thought, Wen Shiqin quietly moved to her side, gently put his arm around her waist, and whispered in her ear: "After I resign from my official post, I will accompany you to travel all over the country and see all the beautiful scenery."

Just as Su Jinxiu was about to smile and look up in agreement, she suddenly felt a pair of small hands tightly encircling her knees.

Looking down, she saw Qingyi, her little face tilted up, both intimidated by Wen Shiqin's aura and stubbornly clinging to Su Jinxiu, her little hands gripping Su Jinxiu's skirt and refusing to let go.

Wen Shiqin's eyes, which had just been brimming with spring breeze, were instantly shrouded in shadow.

In the end, Su Jinxiu smoothed things over with gentle words, coaxing Qingyi to let go of her hand, and the group boarded the carriage.

Feng Xun rode ahead, kicking up dust, and sped towards the ferry. Su Jinxiu and Wen Shiqin were left behind, still having to share a carriage with the two young children. His long-awaited time alone was once again ruined by the two little pests.

Qingluan and Qingyi were terrified of this uncle.

The child, innocent and unaware of the hidden truth behind the faked death, only remembered visiting his grave before, where his father explained that his uncle had long since passed away, and his aunt had wept bitterly at the time. Now, seeing the deceased sitting alive before him, he mistook him for a haunting ghost, filled with bewilderment, unable to understand why his elders could accept him so calmly.

In addition, Wen Shiqin's temperament became more solemn and composed after returning from the battlefield, and his figure became more imposing. His cold face made him even more unapproachable. Such an appearance only filled the children with boundless fear.

Sitting side by side in the same carriage, the brother and sister snuggled close to Su Jinxiu, like fledglings seeking refuge in her embrace, not daring to even glance at Wen Shiqin out of the corner of their eyes.

Su Jinxiu gently stroked their heads and coaxed them softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. This is your uncle. Go and hug him, okay?"

The words were still ringing in their ears, but the two children shook their heads vigorously like rattles.

Wen Shiqin frowned, his face full of confusion. Clearly, these two immature kids had stolen his man, yet they were showing such disdain for him. A surge of resentment welled up inside him, and he refused to believe it. He reached out and pulled Qingyi from Su Jinxiu's arms.

Caught off guard, Qingyi was suddenly encircled by a pair of large, well-defined hands. Startled, her face turned as white as paper. She hurriedly looked up at Su Jinxiu with a pleading expression, her lips trembling, and a sob of grievance was about to burst out.

"Don't cry!"

Qingyi trembled at Wen Shiqin's reprimand and forced back her tears. She could only sit obediently on his lap, her back straight, not daring to lean back even slightly.

Su Jinxiu sighed. Her two young children were almost out of control, but Wen Shiqin, who was opposite her, was even more unruly and difficult to manage than the children.

Seeing her brother being detained, Qingluan blushed with anxiety and tried her best to grab Qingyi's sleeve. Qingyi also hurriedly leaned to the side, his small hands flailing wildly in the air. The two siblings were half a carriage apart, their fingertips just touching but then slipping away.

Seeing how they depended on each other for survival, Wen Shiqin's heart softened a bit. Just as he was about to let go and let him go back, he suddenly heard Qingluan point at him and crisply curse, "You big bad guy!"

This innocent remark stirred up the arrogance in his bones. Instead of letting go, he pulled Qingyi closer to his chest and said with a flirtatious smile, "That's right, your uncle is a bad guy. He insisted on taking your brother away and made you two siblings so close yet so far apart. What can you do about it?"

Qingluan was momentarily bewildered, her small lips pursed tightly, and her eyes instantly reddened.

Seeing this, Su Jinxiu quickly gave him a look, signaling him to stop while he was ahead, and then advised him, "Why are you teasing them?"

Before he could finish speaking, Wen Shiqin jokingly said, "Have your aunt beg me, and I'll let your brother return to his place."

He had expected Qingluan to beg Su Jinxiu to speak up, but he hadn't expected the child to be so defiant, stubbornly retorting with her little neck: "No!"

"You used to bully your aunt every day!"

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, startling Su Jinxiu and causing Wen Shiqin's expression to change slightly.

Could it be that their past secret affections were discovered by this child? They acted cautiously, only daring to get close under the wisteria trellis behind the courtyard when no one was around, and there was no way they would be seen by others.

Su Jinxiu chuckled twice, forcing herself to remain calm, and said, "...Uncle didn't bully Aunt. Qingluan must have misunderstood?"

Qingluan, her face flushed with anxiety, pointed at Wen Shiqin and said, "I didn't misread it! A few days ago, after dinner, I saw you pull Aunt away with my own eyes! When Aunt came back, there was blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She was clearly beaten by Uncle!"

These words suddenly reminded Wen Shiqin of the scene a few days ago when he tried to get close to Su Jinxiu, only to be thwarted by these two children. His mischievous side surged up completely, and he raised an eyebrow at Qingluan, deliberately lowering his voice to scare her in a roguish way.

"That's right! I can beat your aunt to tears at night, making her beg for mercy."

Qingluan was already afraid of him, and now, frightened by his harsh words, her face turned pale. She felt sorry for her aunt. Her eyes reddened, and large tears rolled down her cheeks.

Su Jinxiu's heart skipped a beat, feeling that he was becoming increasingly out of line, his words utterly incoherent. She quickly pulled Qingluan into her arms, patting her back and gently coaxing her, "Silly child, that was just your aunt accidentally biting into something while eating, it has nothing to do with your uncle. He's lost his mind right now, just talking nonsense, don't take it seriously."

Seeing that Su Jinxiu had scolded him, Wen Shiqin also put aside his previous bad temper, released Qingyi and pretended to comfort her: "That's right, that's right, how could your uncle bear to hit your aunt? It was clearly her who bullied me."

With this mix of truth and deception, the carriage arrived at its destination: the renowned Jinzhao Zui Restaurant on the banks of the Tongjin River. One by one, everyone disembarked. Qingluan and Qingyi, holding each other's hands, sobbed and ran to find Fengxun.

Su Jinxiu turned her head and scolded Wen Shiqin in a low voice: "You are too inconsiderate! What nonsense are you spouting in front of the children? What will you say if your brother asks about it!"

Wen Shiqin, however, didn't seem to care, and smiled casually: "Let him ask if he wants to. Am I afraid of him?"

"You're so stubborn!" Su Jinxiu pinched the soft flesh on his waist. "From now on, you must never say such things in front of the children, or you'll set a bad example for them!"

Caught off guard, Wen Shiqin jolted awake and hurriedly begged for mercy: "That girl clearly provoked me first..."

"How old is she? And how old are you?" Su Jinxiu said this and then quickly walked towards Feng Xun.

Seeing the two children sobbing, Feng Xun knelt down and embraced them, asking gently, "What's wrong? Who made our Qingluan and Qingyi cry?"

Su Jinxiu was about to step forward to explain, but before she could even speak, Qingluan grabbed Fengxun's sleeve and choked out a complaint: "Father! Uncle said... said he'd beat Aunt to tears tonight! Please save Aunt, don't let Uncle bully her!"

Feng Xun was taken aback upon hearing this, then stood up, his gaze sweeping over Su Jinxiu before settling on Wen Shiqin, who was walking slowly behind him, his expression unreadable.

Su Jinxiu felt her cheeks burning, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into. She closed her eyes and was about to speak to smooth things over when Wen Shiqin was already beside her, saying loudly, "Brother."

Feng Xun looked at him and said calmly, "In the future, you should be more mindful of your words and actions and avoid making reckless remarks."

Wen Shiqin seized the opportunity and said with a smile, "Brother, you don't know this, but these two children are terrified of me. They cry as soon as they see me. Why don't you take care of them yourself from now on? That way, you won't frighten them or cause them any more unnecessary crying. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

"I fear you like a tiger, so let Sister Jinxiu take you with her."

Feng Xun said to Su Jinxiu in a gentle voice, "I am always busy with official duties, and these two children are close to you and have been taken care of by you. I will definitely give them a generous reward in the future."

Su Jinxiu thanked him with a smile while pinching Wen Shiqin's lower back, which stopped him from saying anything more.

As Feng Xun led the child away, before she could speak, Wen Shiqin preemptively asked, "You're actually helping him?"

Su Jinxiu knew he was more responsive to gentle persuasion than force, so she said softly, "How long can I stay at Tinglan Cottage? I'll be going to your Marquis's residence soon, won't we spend a lot of time together then?"

Upon hearing this, the gloom in Wen Shiqin's eyes instantly vanished, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

Amidst their flirtatious banter, they had already reached the Tongjin River ferry crossing.

Before long, a boat slowly approached the shore in the distance, and a group of maids escorted an old lady as she gracefully disembarked.

Although she carried a cane, she walked with great speed and grace. Her clothes were exceptionally luxurious, with intricate and exquisite embroidery, and she exuded a vitality that rivaled that of young people.

When the grandmother landed, she saw her three children, and her gaze swept over them one by one.

The eldest son was noble and aloof, the second son was handsome and dashing, and the little granddaughter was charming and lively. The old man was always open-minded, but he loved his own flesh and blood the most, and the more he looked at them, the happier he became.

After completing all the proper etiquette, the group went to the top floor of Jinzhaozui Restaurant, which Fengchen had specially booked, to welcome his grandmother back.

"You're such a thoughtful child." Grandmother smiled, her wrinkles smoothing out, and she looked full of energy.

Feng Xun smiled and said, "It is a blessing for us grandchildren to win Grandmother's favor."

Amidst laughter and chatter, they reached the rooftop. Su Jinxiu opened the window and saw the wind whipping up clouds over the Tongjin River, its clear waters flowing like a ribbon. Instantly, she felt a sense of exhilaration.

But as they approached the private room, they saw several sword and knife marks on the pillars and minor chipping on the corners of the door, indicating that it had suffered some kind of misfortune.

Su Jinxiu turned to the shopkeeper beside her and asked softly, "Is this place old and dilapidated, or has something happened here?"

The shopkeeper sighed, "Young lady, you may not know this, but last month a young man got drunk and went on a rampage, slashing around with his sword. Luckily, his companions stopped him in time, preventing a bigger disaster. In all my decades of business, I have never seen such an unruly and eccentric behavior before."

Wen Shiqin stood to the side and heard everything clearly. He hurriedly stepped into the inner room, afraid that if the shopkeeper looked up again, he would recognize him as the instigator.